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Volume 2 summer 2009 Issue 3
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T he object of Focus Magazine is to enhance the knowledge and enjoy‐ment at all levels of involvement in the art of photography and to appreci‐ate its unique blend of technical skill, knowledge of composition and crea‐tivity. Articles written express the opinion of the writers and are for the
purpose of clarity and education about the photographic process, exhibit‐ing and judging. Please respond to [email protected] with any queries.
editor gay estes
submissions copy editor
penelope ross [email protected]
gca flower show chairman
debbie oliver photography chairman
lula potter
photography committee joanne lenden, sarah hood salomon, jacqueline loomis, margy pengilly
We welcome submissions: in‐formation on workshops, classes and photographs.
Please submit to [email protected]
GCA Photo Workshop Information Zone XII : Seattle, Washington, September 27‐ contact Diana Neely
[email protected] Zones X and XI: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, OH—October 28 & 29‐contact Sue Klein
[email protected] Zone VIII: Sarasota Florida November 11 ‐contact Jacqueline Loomis
tarnhaven@ comcast.net
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P hotographic images capture a point in time. A good image makes us stop and look; a great image draws us inside to tell a story or pique our imagination. Siri Burki of Sasqua Garden Club captured a picture every sports-man loves: a golf course. The plant material is a wonder-fully twisted cypress branch; an integral part of the composition. Even more interesting is that this particular cypress grows only in a very small part of the country; the site is Cypress Point on the Mon-terrey Peninsula where she fell in love with her husband Peter, while playing 36 holes a day at the Cy-press Point Golf Club. The image has high impact appeal; the main point of the GCA photography scoring system at 30% of the point score. The image’s composition is divided into thirds: the eponymous cypress, the fairway and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. The vanishing point is, happily, well off center and, even though layered, the horizontals allow the eye to progress to the background of the photo—the scene unfolds. The contrasts of texture and depth give richness to the image. Technically the image is sharp and the color spectrum true. Siri’s intent was to portray “a place the photographer treasures,” which was the class title. It beckons one to take up an iron—or more appropriately a wood—to play in the sun. The twisted trunk is in contrast to the tranquil Pacific; a study in the forces of nature. Even the sand traps mirror the variegation in the colora-tion of the plant material. ge
cover story
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A rose is a rose is a rose—or is it?
In the infancy of the Photography Program we are faced with many challenges, among which are de-fining our parameters and refin-ing our judging. Photography is an amalgam of art and science, and the challenge is to marry technical excellence with compo-sition and the very important as-pect of nonverbal communication. Many speak of the “wow factor” in photography, which can involve many aspects. The angle, the depth, the lens setting, the subject matter, shadows, the rhythm and, yes, editing and manipulation to present an image which speaks to the viewer. It may be difficult to transcend our memories—the warmth of a summer day at the beach, the scent of flowers at a wedding—however, objectivity is the key. Then there is this rule: “Photo must contain plant material”! What does “contain plant mate-rial” mean to you? To show the range of options, GCA Triple Judge and consistent winner in
photography Arabella Dane has obligingly submitted four images to Focus. On the next page is a close-up of an agave. This is an example of depicting plant material to the max. She has captured the subtle color, the metallic quality and, at the same time, the ferocity of the plant’s spiky leaves, which evoke the jaws of a shark; the image conveys strength and vulnerabil-ity. Another image consists in shad-ows of fern fronds The light is ex-quisite, the texture and the pat-terns are intriguing. Does the shadow of a plant fulfill the plant material requirement of the class? The image is very much about plant material and its impact; in fact the shadow becomes the solid, the void a fern frond! The image on page 7 was entered into The Sun Also Rises, in “The Written Word” at The Plainfield GC. This image is subtle and intel-ligently presented. Entered photo-graphs were to complement He-mingway’s signature novel. Could this picture of the young matador Pedro Romero in the bullring with
text continued on page 8
commentary
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Portola Platinum ; Woodside –Atherton Garden Club GC; Zone IX Platinum Pure
Arabella Dane North Shore GC of Massachusetts, Zone I first and photography committee award
Agave sp. Camera Canon Rebel XTI 70‐210 zoom lens
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Shadows of fern fronds. fern sp.
arabella dane
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The Sun Also Rises carnations, roses and gypsophila
arabella dane
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a red bouquet, eyes searching the crowd for Lady Brett Ashley, be more iconic? Combining a bullfight and Ernest Hemingway; brilliant. The flowers are an integral part of the image’s message—victory, yes, and perhaps even love. (Compare this with Best in Show winner at 2009 GCA Annual Meeting in Providence on page 10.) There the photographer cleverly placed a bunch of tulips on the bench—bright red tulips to contrast with the dormant trees and shrubs along the riverfront. The natu-ral plant material does not lend anything to the composition nor contribute in any “material” way to the meaning of the image; it is merely present. The tulips are a powerful focal point. The image is gorgeous, evoking a Canaletto and personifying water in an urban environment. Arabella’s image on page 9 is even further afield. Again, the class subject was water in an urban environment. The portrayal of water, or the lack of it, in an environ-ment can be expressed poignantly—one judge on the panel felt the photograph was worthy of publication in National Geographic. The plant material consists of the dye in the cloth and the suggestion of a Indian flower motif in the pattern of the sari. There is a bit of weed at the very top left of the photograph but one certainly would be hard-pressed to promote that as an element or focal area of the image. So what does “image must contain plant material” mean to the exhibitor? Some beautiful images show nothing beyond turf grass, yet are eligible. Classes featuring water are likely to contain comparatively little in the way of plant material. Close-ups are definitely “about the plant.” Many photographers agree that since the scope of GCA goes beyond plants to in-clude conservation, historical preservation and education, so should those inter-ests be allowed subject matter of photographs in our shows. Arabella feels that the subject matter should be of the natural world, in imagination and realism. “Light is our medium” she states. Others feel that to not include plant material will make a GCA Flower Show Photography Division into a generic photo show. They point to the parameters of botanical jewelry division as a standard. Some feel that the plant material should be the dominant factor in an image, or at least contributory to the intent and integral to the composition, others feel that simply complying is suffi-cient. A great number feel that there is much to be said in not forcing plant nomen-clature when it is not obvious to the viewer; certainly not to exclude those who can-not identify from competition. What are your thoughts? Email me at [email protected]. We will keep a tally and even publish some of your replies (with name if agreed to by the submitter). Plant material: food for thought or fodder for Canons and Nikons?
gay estes g c of houston, IX
a rose? continued from page 4
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Annual Meeting in Providence RI, arabella dane
Celebrating the Urban landscape; water. Honorable mention; taken in Jaipur, India
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“Celebrating the Urban Landscape” GCA Annual Meeting, Providence, RI, May 2‐3, 2009
Pamela Crandall, St. Paul Garden Club Zone XI
Sight and Sound of Water
A color photograph featuring water or the use of water in an urban landscape Sporobolus heterolepis Prairie dropseed Tulipa Tulip acer rubrum Red maple
“Awaiting Spring’s First Date”
Raspberry Park on the Mississippi River, St. Paul, MN
First and Best in Show “Fascinating patterns captured with beautiful tonal qualities. Curving lines add rhythm to a dynamic composition.”
Nikon Coolpix
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“Celebrating the Urban Landscape”
GCA Annual Meeting, Providence, RI May 2009
Blair Matthews Louis, Glenview Garden Club--Zone VII
First and The GCA Novice Award
Nature's Bounty Color
“Strong image captures the contribution that landscaping can make in an urban environment. Repeti-tion outstanding!”
Photo taken in Central Park
Canon Digital Rebel XT
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“Florescense‐ Elements” April 21‐22, 2009 Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas GC of Houston, River Oaks GC, Zone IX Pat Lazor Garden Club of Morristown, Zone IV Ambrosia dumosa, white bursage Third and Certificate of Excellence Exquisitely depicts the power of water to transform the landscape.” Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona Nikon D200
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“Show of Summer”, 2008 Chicago, Illinois Zone XI Six Chicago area North Shore Clubs
Mary Ann Grumman Garden Club of Evanston, Zone XI Beauty in the Unlikely, The Fabric of Life Hydrangea Arborescens Smooth Hydrangea First and Best in Show "A Winter Day/A Fresh Snow Cre‐ates An Image of Beauty With Subtle Image of a Dying Hydrangea" “ Unusual and surreal” Nikon D200 SLR, Macro Lens
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Na Pua Ali’i—Reflections on Hawai’i’s Royal Legacy
The Garden Club of Honolulu, Zone XII April 17‐19, 2009 Phyllis Reynolds
The Portland GC, Zone XII
Royal Colors: Red and/or Gold Tulipa ‘Red Impression’
First and Best in Show
“Lovely!”
Nikon Coolpix 5000
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scanning--and winning My first flower scan was made as an act of desperation. I had just finished a draw-ing course at the New York Botanical Garden and planned to spend the summer sketching the flowers in my half-acre garden as they came into bloom. A few weeks of feverish work taught me the foolishness of my scheme. My skill was (to put it kindly) developing slowly and I could not keep the flower alive long enough to fin-ish a sketch!
What to do? The answer seemed obvious…take a photograph. With the help of my trusty digital camera, I could capture the flower and spend a cozy winter working on my masterpieces of botanical art. A quick search through my photo files was disappointing. A lovely picture of an herba-ceous border was too vague and jumbled. I needed a close-up of a single flower posed in an artistic way. Off I went into the garden to pick a few blooms. A session at the kitchen table, standing on a chair and using colored cloths as background was also unsatisfactory. I then remembered an article I had clipped years earlier about an artist who made scans of flowers and vegetables. Luckily, I still had it in my files. This was my answer. Following a few simple directions and using my home scanner, I was astonished by the results. I was able to produce exactly the image I wanted for my botanical drawing. That summer passed in a blur of endeavor. Picking, scanning and drawing took all my free time. When friends came to visit I would proudly show off my sketches. “Look,” I
would say, “isn’t that the loveliest beebalm you’ve ever seen?” “Oh, is that what that is?” they would reply. If I also produced the scanned flower portrait, they would perk right up, stare vaguely out the window toward my flower beds and exclaim, “I had no idea you grew such beautiful flowers!”
dandelion stems
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Kathy de las Heras St. John’s wort
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Finally I saw my scans as an end prod-uct instead of a step along the way. I began to learn in earnest how to make a high quality image that could win a first in a Garden Club of America Flower Show. The directions in the newspaper arti-cle were basic. You need a computer, a monitor and a scanner. It is also es-sential to have photo-editing software. I use PhotoShop Elements, but I am sure there are other programs which will do the trick. I have a basic knowl-edge of how to use my software, but am far from an expert. I learned by reading manuals and through a pain-ful process of trial and error.
A few simple instructions will ensure success. First and foremost, keep your scanner clean. I spray eyeglass cleaner on a soft rag and rub the scanner bed be-fore each “photoshoot.” Every speck of dust and pollen you remove now will be one less you will have to re-move in the editing process. Do not, however, spray the bed directly as this may damage your machine. There is a universal question from everyone I have shared my scans with: “How do you get that black back-ground?” No one ever asks,
“How do you avoid crushing the poor flower?” The answer to both these questions is simple: leave the lid open and scan in darkness. In my case, I work in my basement, at night. Once the flowers are posed, I jump up and turn off the light. The computer monitor provides enough glow for me to find my way back to my chair. The list of lessons I have learned is enough to write a book. And I am sure someone has already written that book. I just haven’t read it. Here is my basic advice for beginners. Pick your flowers in the evening and try to scan them within 20 minutes. Scanning is all about freshness. Choose your specimen with the same care you would use if you were plan-ning to enter a flower in a show. Groom it if necessary, removing dam-aged leaves and spent buds. Watch out for bees! They sleep on flowers at night and when you pull back that recalcitrant petal you may just find a drowsy bumblebee! Place what you want in the foreground onto the scanner first. Face down. Successive layers will be in shadow and anything more than two inches from the bed will disappear.
Continued in page 19
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Kathy de las Heras violas
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Think of your scanner as a mobile camera that passes over your subject. Flowers can’t fidget so they are ideal for this process. Set your scanner on a high resolution. I go up to 600 pixels. The pass-over can take up to a minute, but the result will be superior. Photographic scanning is not a quick process. I usually spend an hour for each raw image. Editing can add another hour. Always preview your scan. I make many adjustments to the composition before clicking the scan button. Each final image you take uses space in your files. Saving your work will eventually result in an archive of your garden. If two or more flowers appear in a photograph, it reminds me that their bloom time coincided. Many of my scans are made as botanical studies for reference only. I have the most beautiful photograph of dandelion leaves, but it will never make it into a GCA show. Scanning is not for everyone. Images made in this way have limita-tions. Size is limited to the size of your scanner bed. You can’t adjust the depth of field and the lighting is always the same. Scanned portraits have a wealth of botanic detail, but can appear static or even plastic if you go too far in the editing process. For these reasons, I always leave little imperfections that “humanize” my subject. Plant disease and insect damage can add character to a beautiful flower portrait. We all suffer the ravages of time. In a similar way the biggest flower is not always the most photogenic. I am fond of buds and try to include the stem and leaf whenever possible. Catching the same plant in different seasons equates to writing a little essay on plant development and pigmentation. The same can be said for a comparative study of different varieties. This kind of photography requires an eye for composition, color and character. It is a great way to build your knowledge of plants, their structure and seasonal evolution. In the end, your efforts are rewarded if the viewer loves these beautiful works of nature as much as you do.
Kathy de las Heras Millbrook GC Zone III
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“Look to the Hills” 2007 Zone IX Show Alamo Heights Terrell Hills Garden Club‐Zone IX The Westin Hotel at La Cantera‐San Antonio, TX April 2007
Whitney W. Smith
Alamo Heights Terrell Hills GC Zone IX
A Closer Look color
Cordyline Fruticosa Ti plant First and Best in Show Nikon D70
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It really is time for you to move from the autofocus setting on your camera to the manual mode. You’ll have better control of your camera and will take superior photographs. Before you change the setting, be prepared to experiment. Several basic considerations must be addressed when the camera is set at manual: aperture, f stop, ISO, shutter speed, light levels and lens. Other considerations are white balance and shooting raw, but they can be considered later. Aperture is the size of the lens opening, which determines the amount of light entering the camera. It is easy to understand aperture if we compare it to our eyes. If we squint (small aper-ture opening) objects appear to be sharper than they do with fully opened eyes (large aperture opening) when, by comparison, details lose their sharpness. f Stop relates to depth of field. The setting determines the opening and closing of the aperture. A small opening will be f16 to f32. A large opening will be f3 to f5.6. The fstop range varies among cameras. However, a small opening (larger f stop number) gives greater depth of field in all camera types. ISO, or International Standards Organization, determines how quickly the camera reacts to light. The higher the ISO number, 400 as an example, the faster the camera reacts. A lower ISO number of 100 or 200 allows the camera to take more time to react. At a lower ISO setting the camera has more time to register the image. The speed of the camera’s reaction time—the ISO—determines the quality of a photograph. Generally, an ISO of 100 gives a finer grain, while at a lower ISO setting good light is required. Shutter Speed determines the amount of time the shutter stays open and regulates the amount of time the digital sensor or film is exposed to light. Light Levels refers to the amount of light that is reflected off the subject being photographed. Early to mid-sunrise and sunset are generally the best times to photograph. Excessive midday light washes away color and even bleaches areas of a photograph. The bleached areas are re-ferred to as hot spots. Lens selection made by a photographer determines what is included in a frame. A short lens, 10-30mm, is a wide-angle lens and will combine a close foreground and deep background. A wide-angle lens exaggerates depth of field. A macro lens is for close-up photography and is also used for capturing fine details. A midrange lens is a good multipurpose lens and allows you to shoot close or distant shots. A telescopic lens is used for photographing subjects that are far away and allows you to zoom in on a subject that is too distant or precarious (such as a nest on a tree branch) to shoot close up. A telescopic lens may also be used at midrange to zoom in and capture fine details. Focal length is the distance in mm from the optical center of the lens to the focal point—the place where the light rays converge. This field of view is determined by the angle of view from the lens to the focal point. It is important to consider each of the above elements. They are interrelated. Changing one ele-ment will impact the others. If we think more specifically about each element, we then develop a better understanding of their interdependence.
In the manual mode
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Your camera is set to manual. Relax—and remember, you’re experimenting. Let’s apply the above information, giving a few examples. If you set your camera to an f stop of f5.6 or f6 plus your fastest shutter speed, 1/125 or higher, plus a low ISO, 100 or 200 and use a midrange lens to photograph a midrange subject in good light, your photograph should be relatively sharp and without noise. If your ISO is set above 400 in this example you will notice noise. Noise refers to graininess in a photograph. If you are shooting a landscape and you want the entire frame in sharp focus, or with a significant depth of field, use a lens with a short focal field, 50mm, and set your camera to f16 or higher, with shutter speed and ISO based on the proper exposure value, deter-mined by the metering system. Or, to achieve a hyper focal image (where the areas in front of and behind the sharp focus plane are also in sharp focus), use a wide-angle lens, set the f stop to f22 or a higher number, again with a shutter speed and ISO based on the proper exposure value determined by the metering system. The rule of thumb is that the shutter speed should be one value over the focal length of the lens, unless your camera/lens system has some form of Image Stabilization, in which case there is some leeway in shutter speed selection. Good light is important and with a long shutter speed you must use a tripod and a shutter release cable or a remote control. It is impossible to make a focused image with a handheld camera at a slow shutter speed. We can achieve critical focus for only one plane in front of the camera and all ob‐jects in the plane will be sharp. In addition, there will be an area just in front of and behind this plane that will appear reasonably sharp according to the sharpness required for a particular photograph and the degree of enlarge‐ment. This total region of adequate focus represents the depth of field. Ansel Adams Shallow depth of field is desirable for portrait photography. A portrait of a flower taken with a macro lens isolates the subject from a distracting background by blurring the background. Similar results can be achieved by using a telescopic lens zoomed in tight on the subject. Innumerable settings are possible. Experiment, keep notes, compare and remember the basics. You’ll never set your cam-era at autofocus again.
pat lazor garden club of morristown
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“Spring Time” North Shore Garden Club of
Massachusetts Zone I
Manchester, Massachusetts May 21, 2008
Virginia Israelit
Portland Garden Club & Santa Fe Garden Club
Zone XII
Spring Time Blossom Color Photograph of a flower,
blossom, or bud Dicentra spectabilis ‘Goldheart’
Bleeding Heart
First Place and The Photography Committee
Award
“Beautiful—Dramatic bleeding hearts—
Spring personified”
Nikon D80 with Nikon 60mm macro lens
Photographer’s Garden in Port‐land
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© Pammie Post
“Earth On Our Hands”, Celebrating 100 Years 1909‐2009 New Canaan Garden Club, Zone II
June 4‐5, 2009
Pammie Post New Canaan Garden Club, CT Zone II
“A Weather Moment” Monochrome
Swamp Maple, European White Pine, Norway Spruce, Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, Oak, Ash, Tulip Poplar, White Birch
“Spring Fog” Country Club of New Canaan, Ct
First Place, The Photography Committee Award Nikon D90 with Nikkor Zoom lens, manual mode
“Perfect exposure; a well composed and serene image.
A beautifully balanced moment in time.”
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"Na Pua Ali'i" Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 17‐19, 2009
Garden Club of Honolulu, Hawaii, Zone XII
Kaui Philpotts Garden Club of Honolulu, Zone XII
"The Majesty of Nature," Monochrome Moraceae, Ficus citrifolia Strangler fig
Taken at Four Seasons Koele Lodge, Lanai, Hawaii
First Award and GCA Novice Award
"This powerful composition has strong texture and tones! A great beginning."
Canon Power Shot A570 IS Image converted to monochrome in iPhoto
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“Give It a Whirl” practice photography show Portland Garden Club, May 1, 2009 Susan Wrenn Close up of a Plant or Flower, Color “Windflower Whirl” Japanese anemone‐‐Anemone japonica ‘Alba’ First and Best of Show Taken at photographer’s spa garden “Lots of zip. Good example of manipulation.” Nikon Coolpix 990, positioned on Happenstance close‐up stand
The Portland Garden Club held a practice photography show for its novices. It was judged and commented on by the club’s own photography judges. Since it was not an accredited show, the novice status will remain for the photographer (but one suspects not for long). The exercise was a warm‐up for Portland’s Major Show next year. This is a fabulous idea for other clubs to emulate. It gives its members a chance to “give it a whirl “ and get their photo‐graphic feet wet, so to speak.
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Show of Summer—”Tapestry”
Sponsored by the six Chi‐cago area North Shore GCA
clubs Chicago June 20, 2008
GCA Novice Award
Sarah Hood Salomon, Per‐
ennial GC, Zone VI Beauty in the Unlikely
Sago Palm Cycas circinalis
"Creative approach with explosive color and pattern"
Untitled, taken in Belize Canon EOS
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“Florescence -Elements” April 21-22,2009 Garden Club of Houston, River Oaks Garden Club Zone IX
Alice Thomas
Garden Club of Houston zone IX Energy-water
First and Best in show
“Vibrating energy magnificently transforms this watery landscape.”
Canon D7000
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“The Written Word”, May 15-16, Plainfield Garden Club, Plainfield, New Jersey Zone IV
Julie Crocker, Dublin GC Zone I
The Color of Water
Ulva: algae, sea lettuce
First place and Photography Committee Award.
"Masterful composition".
Canon Power Shot SX101S
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“Through The Lens” Little Garden Club of Rye
The Osborn, Rye NY April 28, 2009
Nadia Valla
Little Garden Club of Rye, Zone III
Cucurbita pepo—Zucchini
First and Best in Show
Zoomed‐in, Monochrome Taken in my garden. New plant growth with leaves, flower buds and curling tendrils on a specimen less than 4 inches
high.
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Preview of Spring “The Green‐house”
Green Fingers GC, Greenwich CT
March 6‐7, 2009
Patricia Spaght Fairfield Garden Club, Zone II
Horticultural Havens—From Connecticut to Katmandu
Novice Award
Golden Barrel cactus Echinocactus grusonii
Photographed in the Hunting‐ton Botanical Gardens
Pasadena,CA
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The Written Word, May 15-16, 2009 Plainfield Garden Club, Plainfield, NJ Zone IV First, Best in Show Darlene Kasten Plainfield Garden Club, Zone IV The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway--Color Oregon evergreen trees, probably firs and pines Crater Lake, Oregon “Simply stunning!” Nikon D200 taken in the early sum-mer of 2008. The forest fires in California pro-pelled by the Santa Ana winds created a haze that reached well into Oregon.
